Angry Thai fishermen call for rules delay

[Kannikapor88]

EU will ban the fishing ...

ICAO will ban Thai aviation ...

As said many times - The World is changing, Thailand dont wanna change, they are status quo or moving backwards no matter what the self appointed PM say ...

When will they realize that they will loose everything but guess you reap what you sow

[ddavidovsky]

I wrote in April: "Has this been thought through? Bottom line is that there has to be less fishing - we all accept that - but what's going to happen to all those people put out of work so suddenly? What is the plan to deal with that?"

Obviously there was no plan, no thought given to it at all.

Breathtaking ineptitude. It's like the country is run by children.

[fleur3]

The Thai attitude of "I am entitled to make a living regardless of the law" rears it's ugly head again. A lot of street, pseudo black taxi drivers and beach vendors (jet skies, beach chairs, food outlets) think the same. Walk down soi 11 and see the abuse of law, albeit with suitable payment to the 'relevant' paymasters. Money is God here, forget about Buddha's teachings it has no meaning in Thailand.

YES! Doesn't the world know Thais are ENTITLED to anything and everything? This also means driving w/out license, going any direction regardless of flow of traffic etc.... I'm under the impression Thais think the WORLD needs to do what Thais dictate.... guess b/c they have Thainess and know best/everything.... well except adequate education/know how. :-)

Quote ":Coastal fishermen said their fishing method did not hurt fish stocks and the environment as some people claimed"

But : these fishermen know better than "some people" And some people say there is slavery in the world of fishermen but again: fishermen know better.

Some years ago we woulkd have seen thousands of people going and blocking the bangkok streets, occupying governement offices maybe blocking the routes to the airport. I am happy that thsi has changed. No voters so no need to give in. Good for us people. Go on!!!

[Oziex1]

I wrote in April: "Has this been thought through? Bottom line is that there has to be less fishing - we all accept that - but what's going to happen to all those people put out of work so suddenly? What is the plan to deal with that?"

Obviously there was no plan, no thought given to it at all.

Breathtaking ineptitude. It's like the country is run by children.

All the people out of work all of a sudden, some will find new scams some will get legit and the rest will be put in a shallow grave in the jungle.

[fleur3]

I feel sorry for the small local fisherman as they are not the main culprit in over fishing. The best thing for the enviroment will be an EU ban, but it will be the worst thing for the fishermen.

i am not an expert but from what i read i understand that the small fisherman do not have a problem. Many of them, the small local fisherman, use smaller boats (30 ton minus) and are in the process or did already comply.

The big boats are the problem i understood.

[Just1Voice]

Thailand has been doing damn well as they please for decades, destroying anything in the way of their profits, firmly believing they are the "Big Boy On The Block".

Then a Bigger Boy comes along and tells them: "You want to sell to us, fine, but you play by OUR rules."

Now the local "bullies" are made to realize there is a bigger "bully" in the playground, and they are in full panic mode.

"But we've been doing it this way since forever!" - "Damn foreigners don't understand that we are Thai, the superior race." - "They don't understand 'Thainess' at all!" - "Damn foreigners should go back to wherever they came from and leave us alone at the center of the Universe, which is our rightful position!".

[poohy]

I admit to know little about fishing but, visiting our VERY local fish market i see tiny squid and fish for sale,

Now whether the boat is legal or not, if they catch them there aren't going to grow into big ones are they?

[chickenrunCM]

the nets they are using in Thailand are forbitten world wide since 1992, so enough time for the fishermen to change,

EU should put the same tax on all Thai product Thailand puts on EU products,

Even a ban on all Thai products should be possible, until Thailand change their laws and protect foreign people the same rights,

and foreign investor the possibility to own 100% of their bussines, same like Thai nationalitys have in the EU

[retarius]

I have little sympathy with boat owners....and now what will they do with all the slaves that used to work on them? That bowl of rice each day to feed the slaves is coming out of the boat owners pockets.

[dageurreotype]

They will keep on fishing until there is nothing left in the seas and when that day comes they will blame someone else for the empty seas.

Quite. It appears all people have to do to carry on with their selfish practices here is to constantly go crying to which soever government happens to be in power. Tuk tuks/taxis? Don't like competition so go petition the governor and allowed to carry on. Carry on planting rice, firmly refusing to diversify because that's what we've always done? open up your own pumps and defy logic/orders and plant yet another crop, the government'll won't stand in your way. Oh, and we want compensation too. it runs through the entire Thai society from top to bottom, just constantly giving in to this nation of spoiled brats.

Edited July 20, 2015 by dageurreotype

[wabothai]

Growing pains really hurt.

[gamini]

6 inch mesh nets are the minimum size allowed in most countries. The smaller fish can swim through the net and grow big I have never seen this kind of nets used anywhere in Thailand. As they deplete the fish in the sea they use smaller and smaller mesh him nets. I see it everywhere 2 inch mesh nets which catch all the small fish in the sea and never allows them to grow big it seems Fisheries Department has never stopped this practice and consequently the Gulf of Thailand is completely devoid of fair sized fish. The only fish available is is the estuary perch which is raised in ponds all over Thailand. They are sold as seabass at ridiculously high price for what they really are. They do not come from the sea and are not seabass.

[mango66]

Instaed to keep the rule, GVT should change the rule !

Thats Thailand;

They know this for 4 months now, what this fisherman have done meantime ?? Nothing, nothing , than protest !!

Hope EU will close import in 2 month !!

[ourmanflint]

The EU is totally overfishing waters in its area. Britain's fishing fleet, once the largest in the world, has been decimated over the last 50 years and certain fish species are verging on extinction.

I have no respect for anything that is dictated by EU bureaucrats.

However nobody in the UK threatened to blockade ports or menaced legal boat owners. I have no sympathy at all for Thai boat owners that have invested in expensive equipment that potentially can destroy fish stocks in the Gulf of Thailand. Sea food is going to get more expensive either way.

I think you are a bit behind the times. the EU do know what they are talking about as they have been trying it for the past 20 years

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/08/north-sea-cod-stocks-bounce-back-analysis-shows

[BirdsandBooze]

Apart from compulsory licensing there needs to be education on and enforcement of sustainable fishing practises. The use of highly destructive monofilament gill nets appears to be the norm here and should cease, not just on large vessels but also on the small beach launched boats. Also, roe carrying hen crustaceans need to be returned to the sea rather than being landed with their eggs seen as a bonus. These roes are the life blood of the sea, and apart from those that mature into adults, become krill that some species of fish and large sea mammals rely upon for food. Known areas where fish congregate to spawn (all fishermen know where they are and exploit them) should be closed to fishing. Some pain now will benefit both marine life and fishermen in the future.

[Peung]

The Ouan Roon or the motorised push net is a small-scale fishing gear but it is environmentally damaging. If you see a small boat with two (10m) long metal tubes with skids on the front, heading out to sea, then you are looking at a push netter. The push net is operated by pushing the two tubes on their skids along the bottom. Between the two tubes is a very long and very small-meshed net. This type of gear cannot be used in waters deeper than 5 m and thats the main problem. Used in shallow waters, push nets destroy the benthos and catch a lot of juvenile fish/shrimp/molluscs etc that could grow to a much larger size.

Technically push nets have been banned for many years in Thailand. About 10 years ago the government of the time offered to buy back push nets and support fisher livelihood diversification. That came to nothing. In my opinion it is good to see the current government enforcing the ban.

[cooked]

The EU is totally overfishing waters in its area. Britain's fishing fleet, once the largest in the world, has been decimated over the last 50 years and certain fish species are verging on extinction.

I have no respect for anything that is dictated by EU bureaucrats.

However nobody in the UK threatened to blockade ports or menaced legal boat owners. I have no sympathy at all for Thai boat owners that have invested in expensive equipment that potentially can destroy fish stocks in the Gulf of Thailand. Sea food is going to get more expensive either way.

I think you are a bit behind the times. the EU do know what they are talking about as they have been trying it for the past 20 years

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/08/north-sea-cod-stocks-bounce-back-analysis-shows

The EU subsidised huge fishing vessels when overfishing was already a fact, allowed the North Sea to be fished by other EU members using smaller mesh nets than allowed, thus putting the UK East coast fishermen out of business, and a lot of other stuff. They have, finally, woken up, that is true but it is very recent. Don't tell me that these guys know what they are doing, they allowed the North Sea to be fished almost to death and are now dictating to other countries what they should do.

As I said above, Thailand must wake up and stop destroying its environment but I'm sure that many Thai fishermen know what happened in the North Sea and the Mediterranean 20 years ago.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

6 inch mesh nets are the minimum size allowed in most countries. The smaller fish can swim through the net and grow big I have never seen this kind of nets used anywhere in Thailand. As they deplete the fish in the sea they use smaller and smaller mesh him nets. I see it everywhere 2 inch mesh nets which catch all the small fish in the sea and never allows them to grow big it seems Fisheries Department has never stopped this practice and consequently the Gulf of Thailand is completely devoid of fair sized fish. The only fish available is is the estuary perch which is raised in ponds all over Thailand. They are sold as seabass at ridiculously high price for what they really are. They do not come from the sea and are not seabass.

6 inch nets are what the Thai fisherman think you use when you fish for whales!. Here in Trat I see a lot of half inch net used (and smaller size) but there are still many Barramundi or Seabass as you call them left in the Mangrove tidal areas, must be difficult to catch them there. Most of them are farmed in freshwater ponds and the meat can not be compared to a wild Barramundi.

[Nobb]

Thai fishermen are hurt by government rules.They should have been registered and law abiding fishermen many years ago. But in Thailand there were no rules or regulations and no one checking to see if they even had a license to fish. They say there nets are illegal so why did they not buy new nets. Because they do not have the money. But for the last half century they took in full boat loads every day. They are law breaking lieing thiefs who wants the government to have mercy on them. Can not check there books because they keep no books and paid no taxes!

[Just1Voice]

The EU is totally overfishing waters in its area. Britain's fishing fleet, once the largest in the world, has been decimated over the last 50 years and certain fish species are verging on extinction.

I have no respect for anything that is dictated by EU bureaucrats.

However nobody in the UK threatened to blockade ports or menaced legal boat owners. I have no sympathy at all for Thai boat owners that have invested in expensive equipment that potentially can destroy fish stocks in the Gulf of Thailand. Sea food is going to get more expensive either way.

I think you are a bit behind the times. the EU do know what they are talking about as they have been trying it for the past 20 years

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/08/north-sea-cod-stocks-bounce-back-analysis-shows

The EU subsidised huge fishing vessels when overfishing was already a fact, allowed the North Sea to be fished by other EU members using smaller mesh nets than allowed, thus putting the UK East coast fishermen out of business, and a lot of other stuff. They have, finally, woken up, that is true but it is very recent. Don't tell me that these guys know what they are doing, they allowed the North Sea to be fished almost to death and are now dictating to other countries what they should do.

As I said above, Thailand must wake up and stop destroying its environment but I'm sure that many Thai fishermen know what happened in the North Sea and the Mediterranean 20 years ago.

Sorry, "cooked", but I have to disagree with you. I would be willing to bet you damn near anything that you can't find 1 Thai fisherman who even knows what the North Sea or Mediterranean Sea is, or where's they are located.

[robblok]

The EU is totally overfishing waters in its area. Britain's fishing fleet, once the largest in the world, has been decimated over the last 50 years and certain fish species are verging on extinction.

I have no respect for anything that is dictated by EU bureaucrats.

However nobody in the UK threatened to blockade ports or menaced legal boat owners. I have no sympathy at all for Thai boat owners that have invested in expensive equipment that potentially can destroy fish stocks in the Gulf of Thailand. Sea food is going to get more expensive either way.

I think you are a bit behind the times. the EU do know what they are talking about as they have been trying it for the past 20 years

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/08/north-sea-cod-stocks-bounce-back-analysis-shows

The EU did great things, most stocks are more abundant now, herring made a great comeback and larger quota are given out now. The sea's are recovering. I remember how much the fishermen complained and now all stocks are slowly making a comeback. The rules did work.

Edited July 20, 2015 by robblok

[robblok]

The EU is totally overfishing waters in its area. Britain's fishing fleet, once the largest in the world, has been decimated over the last 50 years and certain fish species are verging on extinction.

I have no respect for anything that is dictated by EU bureaucrats.

However nobody in the UK threatened to blockade ports or menaced legal boat owners. I have no sympathy at all for Thai boat owners that have invested in expensive equipment that potentially can destroy fish stocks in the Gulf of Thailand. Sea food is going to get more expensive either way.

I think you are a bit behind the times. the EU do know what they are talking about as they have been trying it for the past 20 years

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/08/north-sea-cod-stocks-bounce-back-analysis-shows

The EU subsidised huge fishing vessels when overfishing was already a fact, allowed the North Sea to be fished by other EU members using smaller mesh nets than allowed, thus putting the UK East coast fishermen out of business, and a lot of other stuff. They have, finally, woken up, that is true but it is very recent. Don't tell me that these guys know what they are doing, they allowed the North Sea to be fished almost to death and are now dictating to other countries what they should do.

As I said above, Thailand must wake up and stop destroying its environment but I'm sure that many Thai fishermen know what happened in the North Sea and the Mediterranean 20 years ago.

*LOL* no its never your own country that is doing the over-fishing its always the bad EU and foreigners.. You could be Thai.

[cooked]

The EU is totally overfishing waters in its area. Britain's fishing fleet, once the largest in the world, has been decimated over the last 50 years and certain fish species are verging on extinction.

I have no respect for anything that is dictated by EU bureaucrats.

However nobody in the UK threatened to blockade ports or menaced legal boat owners. I have no sympathy at all for Thai boat owners that have invested in expensive equipment that potentially can destroy fish stocks in the Gulf of Thailand. Sea food is going to get more expensive either way.

I think you are a bit behind the times. the EU do know what they are talking about as they have been trying it for the past 20 years

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/08/north-sea-cod-stocks-bounce-back-analysis-shows

The EU subsidised huge fishing vessels when overfishing was already a fact, allowed the North Sea to be fished by other EU members using smaller mesh nets than allowed, thus putting the UK East coast fishermen out of business, and a lot of other stuff. They have, finally, woken up, that is true but it is very recent. Don't tell me that these guys know what they are doing, they allowed the North Sea to be fished almost to death and are now dictating to other countries what they should do.

As I said above, Thailand must wake up and stop destroying its environment but I'm sure that many Thai fishermen know what happened in the North Sea and the Mediterranean 20 years ago.

*LOL* no its never your own country that is doing the over-fishing its always the bad EU and foreigners.. You could be Thai.

Right. Western countries pollute and exploit for 200 years and then turn around to other countries to tell them not to do that. I agree that things are getting better but it's not so long ago that the EU was doing very similar things in their own waters. I never said that I agreed with the situation in Thailand.

[Lorn]

Yes, Brazil is still over 50% forest but "must" stop deforestation. How about If the third world demanded the U.K get rid of most of its farms and return the land to nature.

Anyway IIRC fishing is less than 2% of gdp so even if the EU ban happened it would be a loss of less than .2% (EU being 10% of fish exports so not even counting domestic consumption). But it surely would be less than that as other countries would step in and buy it, even at slightly lower prices. So hardly the devastating loss to the country that some posters make out.

How many of those of you complaining about Thais disregard for the environment are vegans or vegetarians I wonder? The hypocrisy is strong, not just coming from governments but individuals as well.

[Crazy chef 1]

I have little sympathy with boat owners....and now what will they do with all the slaves that used to work on them? That bowl of rice each day to feed the slaves is coming out of the boat owners pockets.

Chuck"em overboard...

[Toknarok]

I feel sorry for the small local fisherman as they are not the main culprit in over fishing. The best thing for the enviroment will be an EU ban, but it will be the worst thing for the fishermen.

I don't feel sorry for them in the slightest. I have just read a leader headline from the UK paper the Guardian. You might not like it's politics but it brought you the Edward Snowden story. Have a look at this, and if the Thai authorities think that the EU and others are going to upgrade their human trafficking status then they're dreaming.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jul/20/thai-fishing-industry-implicated-enslavement-deaths-rohingya

[davejonesbkk]

Im watching this Guardian video now, ouch

[englishoak]

Need reports like the Guardian every week until things change or the fishing import ban takes effect.

Whatever comes first, the fish need this to happen, humanity needs this to happen and whether it knows it or not Thailand also needs this to happen.

[Nigeone]

That video brings it home doesn't it...Ban the fishing get some naval assets into the area from a 1st world country and board every boat they come across..If the Thai navy don't like it ..tough...there obviously not serious about sorting it themselves it's obvious as the 'speed' they say they've dealt with something that has been around for so long.. The walls are closing in!

[spidermike007]

Many get upset here when any sort of discipline is imposed. They are so accustomed to being completely unregulated, that it is shock when the government steps in, and imposes limits on them. No traffic laws. No traffic safety. In general very little law and order, combined with a very weak and ineffective judiciary. No fishing standards. No regulation of the fishing fleets. No regular boat inspections. No inspections of the crews of the fishing boats. No consumer protections. No food regulations or inspections. So, no wonder these guys are pissed off. What do you mean I cannot do it exactly the way I want to do it without any barriers?

Many object to the EU imposing restrictions on the Thai fishing industry, since the EU is also guilty of overfishing, etc. But, I really do not think that is the major issue. What I think the major issue is here, and what is not being addressed here over and over again, is the use of slave labor, the extent to which they are being abused, and the abuse of non slave labor. Many of these fisherman are being treated like animals. Is anything being done about that? I think that is the real issue with regard to the EU. No matter how hard the Thai fishing industry and the Thai govt. tries to deny it, many around the world know it is happening, and it sickens them to the core of their being.